Iron Man: Making a Hero
by DinoWriter23
Summary: Earth 12252012. Tony Stark is the world's most brilliant man. But when men conspire to take his company from him, it will take more than his brains and his money to save his industrial empire. After all, heroes aren't born. They're made. Start of my own Marvel FanFiction universe.
1. Chapter 1

Location: Afghanistan, Earth 12252012

Time: 6:06 pm

Date: June 14, 2005

"It's an honor to meet you, sir." One of the soldiers was telling me.

"Yeah. Get that a lot." I dismissed what the soldier said. The successful demonstration of Stark Industries latest missile had been a success thanks to my friend James Rhodes. Now I can look forward to supplying the missile to the United States army, and working on the next idea to top this one.

The young man wouldn't give up. "Sir, I'm Ulrich Malcolm. My brother Duncan just became a father— "

"Oh, so you're an uncle now."

"Yes, but I would greatly appreciate it if you would consider giving him a job."

"Tell him to fill out an application, mention you recommended him, and I'll send it to employment services."

"Thank you, sir." No sooner had he said that than our jeep exploded. I was sent flying backwards and crashed into the ground. My chest had great pain in it and felt incredibly wet. Looking at it, I saw that my lovely new shirt had been stained red. With my blood.

While I was realizing this, I saw our convoy was under attack. The American soldiers were getting killed even from their cover. My vision began to blur, but I could see men carrying… something about those weapons seemed familiar. I heard footsteps approach me, but all I could see was a silhouette in the sunlight. That's when I blacked out.

* * *

I don't remember how long I was out, but every part of my body hurt when I regained consciousness. The place I was in was cold and damp, and… those were rocks. I was in a cave. But why was I in an… was this an operating chair? Holy crap, it was. And that was an operating table. With a car battery, and it connected to… my chest?! What the heck?

"Anthony Stark." A voice said. I then realized I was not alone. Standing next to me was a strange man. I mean he was dressed strange. He had this green robe that looked… Chinese. In fact, I'm pretty sure he was Chinese. He was clean shaven, but his hair… it was long, longer than any I had seen on a guy before. In the light, I noticed he had one ring on each of his fingers. Guess he needed to have a lot of bling to make himself feel good.

Sitting up, I gasped, "Where am I? Who are you? And why is this thing connected to my chest?"

"That battery is what is keeping you alive." The man answered. "Some of my men weren't careful with where they were firing, so I punished them accordingly. The resulting shrapnel from the attack has pierced you. We weren't able to recover all of them, so we used that battery to keep it out of your heart. As for your other questions, you are in one of the secret bases of the Ten Rings. And I am simply called the Mandarin."

"You got a thing for oranges?" I don't know why that came out of my mouth. It just did.

The Mandarin glared at me. "My name has nothing to do with some fruit. It has everything to do with my country. For years China has brought out some of the greatest rulers the world has ever known. Rulers known for the dynasties they started. And yet they are overshadowed by the rulers of the west. Your western civilization has blotted out the legacy of China for the history they teach.

"Well, that is all about to change. Soon, I will make myself known to the world, and I will create a new dynasty. A dynasty that will last through the ages, as my empire is secured."

"Then why not start in China? Why come to Afghanistan?" I asked.

The Mandarin looked at me. "Tactics. The Middle East, as you call it, is broken. Divided. Everyone seeks to unite this barren wasteland into a whole, under their rule and ideals. Well, the peasants will learn that their way is meaningless. The way of the Mandarin is the only way."

"Then why spare me?"

"Because I need you." The Mandarin then pulled up a weapon, a weapon I recognized as a gun that Stark Industries sold to the military. "Your mind is one of the greatest this planet has ever seen. You have made some of the deadliest weapons known to man. Now I will put it to a noble cause. You will build weapons for my army, weapons that the world has never seen before."

"And if I refuse?"

"Do not test my patience, Stark. I saved you from dying in the desert. You will repay your debt to me. Or you will lose the empire your father built."

* * *

The days blurred into a never-ending cycle from there. I used some of the materials at my disposal to build something else to keep the shrapnel from reaching my heart: an arc reactor. Just like the one my company has, but on a smaller scale. Something that could fit into my hand. I wasn't sure if it would work, but it did. I outsmarted even myself.

I hammered away at my new project. The Mandarin was still expecting me to make weapons for his army, but I would never supply a terrorist with weapons of mass destruction. I still can't believe that his Ten Rings group got a hold of my weapons. Well, I wasn't going to let them use them to conquer the world. I was going to stop them.

The armor I was building took shape. It was crude and not fancy, but it would do for this. I drilled the final screws into place and welded the last leg to the armor. Now to give it a test flight. Unfortunately, I had no sooner laid down in it before the doors opened and the Mandarin marched in.

"And what is this crude contraption?" He asked me.

I smirked. "A suit of armor. Completely bullet proof and missile proof."

"I see." The Mandarin stroked his beard. "How long will it take you to produce enough for my army?"

"Let's see. I think I will be finished by never." The suit closed on me and I stood up. I used the flamethrowers to force the Mandarin and his guards back while I stomped out. The Ten Rings tried to stop me, but like I said, the armor repelled their bullets. Any weapon stashes I came across, I torched. Better that my work was destroyed than used for evil.

As I neared the cave entrance, the weather took a strange turn. It had been sunny and clear one second, the next there was this huge tornado blocking my way. I then saw the Mandarin standing there, holding up his hand like he was somehow controlling it. Was I crazy or was one ring glowing?

"You see that you are not the only one capable of remarkable feats, Stark." He growled at me. "My rings give me power beyond human imagination."

"Oh, I can imagine." Activating the rockets that I installed, I flew forward. Most of the time flying into a tornado is a stupid choice to make, but this time I was able to use it to my advantage. The rockets would not last long, so I needed an extra boost to make my escape.

The Mandarin had unknowingly provided me with such a boost.

After I gained enough altitude I turned on the juice. Using everything the rockets had left, I was able to use the momentum to break free of the tornado and fly out into the desert. I was able to hear the Mandarin's curses. "You may have escaped me today, but your flight has made you a deadly enemy. No matter where you go, no matter what you do, the Mandarin shall find you and make you pay. Heed my words. I shall not rest until I destroy you, Iron Man!"

* * *

The suit gave out I don't know how far away from my prison, but it gave out nonetheless. Without the means to carry it, I had to strip down and leave it there. Hopefully the desert buried it. I was not interested in people finding it. I was still impressed that I was able to make that suit. For a genius billionaire, there were times I still managed to surprise myself.

So I spent some time wandering around the desert, when fortune chose to smile down on me. A U.S. convoy was driving past when they stopped. And who should come out of the foremost vehicle but my buddy Rhodes. "Tony. Thank heaven. "We've been searching for weeks."

"The convoy. How many survivors?"

"Tony, now's not the time to-."

"How many survivors?"

"It's just you."

I felt my heart ache, and not from the shrapnel inside it. My own weapons, used to kill U.S. soldiers at the hands of terrorists. I nearly fell over, but my friend caught me and helped me up.

"Easy, Tony." He said. "You're going to be all right. We're taking you back to the states."

* * *

A few days later, I had touched back down on American soil. Sure enough, there were press there doing what they do best.

"Mr. Stark. How did you survive out in the desert?"  
"What did you do for food?"  
"Can you identify the source of attacks in the Middle East?"  
Finally, I turned and looked at them. "If you want answers, head to my company. Go to Stark Industries, and there I'll answer all your questions." I did my best to drown out all further questions, but they kept ringing in my head. Finally, I was able to push through to the people I wanted to see.

My secretary stood at attention. "Mr. Stark. Why the company? Wouldn't you want to go home first?" Virginia "Pepper" Potts asked me.  
"Uh, no. First, I want a hamburger, and then I want to make an announcement at Stark Industries." I said as I got in my limo.

"But sir, what's going on?" Potts asked me as she got in with me.

I just looked at my chauffeur. "Hamburger, then Stark Industries."

"Yes, Mr. Stark." Harold "Happy" Hogan said as he pulled out of the airport.

A few minutes later, I was still enjoying the taste of fast food as we pulled up to my company. Stark Industries, the Home of the Future. That cheesy slogan sounded more like a downright lie to me. After my experience in the desert, I couldn't bear to look at the words.

"Sir? Are you sure this is a good idea?" Potts was asking me as I moved up the stairs.

I looked at her. "Pepper, if I don't do this now, I won't do it ever." I then pushed the doors open and was greeted by a never ending barrage of camera flashes and reporter questions.

"Mr. Stark? Any comments about your rescue?"

"Why were you the only survivor?"  
"Who was behind the attacks?"

I just motioned for everyone to calm down and stop talking. Good heaven, they were giving me a headache. Finally, when I reached the stand, they quieted down so I could speak, though they would still take pictures. It was then I began.

"Weeks ago, I went to Afghanistan to showcase a new weapon. While I was there, I learned a horrible secret: The weapons we have built, that my company created, that I came up with, they weren't being used to protect people. They were being supplied to terrorist organizations, and one organization captured me.

"The Ten Rings, as they call themselves, are led by a man called the Mandarin. He wanted to use my technology, my mind, to create weapons to create an empire. I escaped, but because of me, several American soldiers died. Because of me, there are widows and widowers mourning the loss of their husbands and wives, children crying for the loss of their fathers and mothers, and families crying for the loss of their sons and daughters. And it's all my fault.

"If I had not made those weapons, all those soldiers would still be alive. They'd be able to go home to see their families and friends, but because of what we made here in Stark Industries, they'll never be able to do that. That is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons division of Stark Industries permanently."

Needless to say, the room exploded with questions, but all of them went through one ear and out the other. I was done. I had said what I came to say and I was determined to only see my pillows and lie in my bed.

However, that wasn't to happen yet. "Stark!" Obadiah Stane yelled in my face. "What are you doing? You can't shut down the weapons division. That's where all the money comes in." I swear I saw veins popping up all over his bald head.  
"This isn't open for debate, Stane." I tried to push past him. "The matter is closed."  
He grabbed me. "You've got to have something else then. Something that's going to change the world forever."  
"Yeah. I do."


	2. Chapter 2

**Made some changes to this chapter. I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 2

Location: Malibu, California

Date: August 6, 2005

Time: 10:55 a.m.

"And just adjust the calibration… there. Got it." I smirked as I held up the hand propulsions. "J.A.R.V.I.S., with these babies my latest invention will be top notched."

As usual, my A.I. lacked any sense of humor. "Sir, are you sure that now is the time to be gloating about your latest achievements?"

"Why wouldn't it?" I asked. "It's not every day that I outsmart myself."

"If you could truly outsmart yourself, then why haven't you brought your company out of the financial depression it is currently in? I estimate that ever since your big announcement last month, Stark Industries has lost over eighty percent of its finances."

If I had programmed J.A.R.V.I.S. with a face, I would've stared at him. "Are you trying to convince me to open back up the weapons division? Because, let me tell you now, that's not going to happen."  
"No, sir. But I believe it would be in your best interest to know… uh, sir? You have visitors."

I turned to see Pepper leading in two people. One was an attractive young woman with blue eyes and auburn hair. She was dressed in the latest fashion dress, that looked as if it had just come out. Her companion was a familiar face, blonde hair overlapping his stern blue eyes. Dressed in his business suit, Hank Pym had a look that said he clearly didn't want to be here. "Doctor Pym. Janet. Thank you for coming."  
"Stark, your face is the last thing I wanted to see again." Hank said to me. "It's only because of the stunt you pulled at the conference that I'm even in this war monger house."

Janet smiled at him. "Come on, Hank. Go easy on him."

"Yeah, Hank. Go easy on me." I smiled. "Come on. I know how much you hate me, but let me reassure you that I'm not the same guy. The weapons are behind me."

"That may be, Stark, but you still carry the same arrogance and swagger I've known you to have all your life. Far as I'm concerned you haven't changed a bit." He studied me a bit longer before asking, "What is that you're working on?"

Smiling, I held them up. "Flight stabilizers. With these, a person can use the jet-powered boots I've been developing to fly."

"Sounds fun." Janet said.

Hank seemed interested before asking, "But what are you using to power it? Last time I checked, the technology for such a technological accomplishment still doesn't exist."

"Does now." Pulling off my shirt, I showed them the glowing circle in my chest. Janet stared while Pepper blushed. Even the charming and fun, yes I'm being sarcastic, Hank Pym couldn't keep his composure. He reached out and touched it. "Yep. An arc reactor in my chest."

The scientist in him came out. "It's incredible. If this can successfully sustain a heart, this could revolutionize modern medicine. Heart transplants? History."

"I'm considering using arc reactors as an alternative power source. A source of clean, self-sustaining energy. Not only a power source for flying. You know my dad tried to invent the first flying car? Didn't work, but maybe if I incorporate a larger version of the one in my chest-."

"Stark." A familiar voice boomed as Stane marched in, Happy behind him. "I've been patient long enough, and now I want…" His voice trailed off as he saw what I was showing everyone. "Is that…"  
"My new heart." I said as I put my shirt back on.

He smiled. "So is this what you've been working on? An artificial heart? I thought the arc reactor in Stark Industries was the only one we could make. The military applications alone-."

"No." I said. "This isn't being weaponized. It could do better in medicine, transportation-."

"Tony, you don't get it. Making weapons is what we do. Inventing things that go boom is where the real money can be found."

I narrowed my eyes. "And how are we going to build a better future if all we do is destroy the present?"  
"We're making a future by making sure our enemies don't try to screw with our country."

"This isn't open for debate. My company is not making weapons ever again, and if you're part of my company you will get on board or get out."

I swear I saw several things cross his face as my words sunk in. Anger. Loathing. Malice? He then smirked. "Very well. I'll stay on board. See where you lead us." As he turned to leave, he added as a parting remark, "Make sure you don't forget how you built the reactor on that scale in the first place. It would be a shame to lose such a discovery."

* * *

Date: August 10, 2005

Time: 1:45 p.m.

"And your research has taken human understanding of ants to levels not known before?" I didn't expect myself to be interested in Pym's research, but the levels he's taken his research to was quite fascinating.

He nodded. "And that's not all. I've been able to use my Pym particles to develop nanobots that can help fight infections and disease." Pym was getting into discussing his research. "I've used them to combat cardiac arrest, brain tumors, you name it."

I smiled. "I would very much like to invest in your research. This could mean a revolution in modern medicine. You could very well eliminate the common cold with your work."  
Janet yawned from where she sat. "When you two nerds are done, some of us would like to do something fun."

"Science is fun." Doctor Pym said right before the unexpected happened. An SUV crashed into the street beside us. I don't mean like a car crash. I mean as in it fell from the sky into the street. That did cause several cars to swerve and crash into each other.

My coffee spilled all over me as we also swerved. "Happy!" I called out in front.

"Uh, guys? Tornados don't happen in California, do they?" Janet asked as she looked out the window.

"Not often enough, and certainly not in the middle of a clear day. Why?" Pym asked his girlfriend.

"Because I see one coming right for us."

I looked out the window and, to my complete surprise, she was right. There was a big tornado coming right towards us, sending cars and trucks flying at us. Pedestrians were running away from the disaster, making it hard for us to navigate. I pounded at the window. "Happy!"

"I'm trying to move us, sir!" As soon as there was an opening, he stepped on the gas and the limo began to speed away. Man, I wish I was in my Ferrari right now. We would be far away from that thing.

Happy turned down a street and for a minute I felt safe. That feeling soon vanished as cars continued to be thrown around us. Turning, I saw that the tornado had turned and was still coming our way.

"Call me crazy, but I think that tornado is following us." Janet said.

"I think you're right." I said. Happy turned down another road, and the tornado changed directions to come down our street. When we turned right on another street, it continued to follow us. Was this thing alive?

A truck was then thrown in front of us. Happy put on the breaks, but it was too late as we crashed full force into the truck. I hit my head and groaned as I held it. Janet and Doctor Pym were looking at each other when suddenly the limo was split into two. I found myself being thrown out into the tornado. Only now the tornado was dying down.

In what was the middle of the tornado stood a man. At least I think it was a man. Hard to tell when all he was wearing was green armor. Did he have buzz saw blades on his wrists? And what was with the helmet? He looked like he was wearing a torpedo. "Stark. Bet you're blown away by my presence."

"Uh, who are you?" I asked.

"The name's Whirlwind. Better remember it, because I'm the guy who's going to kill you."

"Whirlwind? I thought with your looks you'd be Buzzkill, or Mr. Torpedo."

"Mock me all you want. You won't be laughing when I remove your head from your shoulders." He pointed his buzz saws at me. It was then he grunted in pain. Looking around, the both of us noticed something flying around him. "Shoo, bug."

"Bug? Okay, that was just rude." The bug said, making both of our eyes widen. Whirlwind grunted as something bright flashed for a moment. Was he just zapped by something small?

Growling, Whirlwind began firing the buzz saws from his wrists. The blades stuck themselves in the truck, the street, even my limo. When he failed to hit… whatever he was fighting, he formed a mini-tornado around him and began to search for said unknown fighter. I couldn't help but think he looked a little like the Tasmanian Devil with that tornado around him.

While he was distracted, I crawled back to my limo. "Hank? Janet?" I called out. They weren't in there. What? Where did they go? I heard groaning up front, and remembered about Happy. Pulling the driver's door open, I found him there groaning with a cut to his head.

Unbuckling him, I staggered as I tried to support his weight. "Let's go." I told him.

"I'm fine, Mr. Stark. I can walk still." He told me. As I let him stand on his own two feet, we were both blown forward by a gust of wind. Looking behind me, I saw that Whirlwind was coming back to us.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you, Stark." The super powered being said. "I'm being paid big bucks to take you out."

"By who? Who's paying you?"

He laughed. "You think I'm going to tell you that? I'm gonna take your head off, and then I'm gonna-." He was cut off as the same flash from before hit him.

"Don't think so, pal." Something flew by me, and I finally got a good look at my rescuer. It was a tiny woman, at least that's what I assumed. She was dressed in some sort of black and red uniform with a short skirt. Her head was covered with some sort of helmet that was insectoid in design. The most surprising thing? She had insect wings coming from her back, like a pixie. "Mr. Stark, are you okay?"  
"Uh…" Was all I could say.

"He won't be for long." As Whirlwind came towards us, he pointed his hands at us. Two tornados came spinning towards us and lifted all of us into the air. As I spun around, I suddenly found myself caught in a vortex, and it was getting harder to breathe. "You see? I'm just going to suck all the air away from you. You'll suffocate, and then I'll drag your lifeless corpse to—ow!"

"Ow?" I managed to ask as I was dropped. All tornados stopped as Whirlwind began swatting himself like he was covered with bugs. I think he was. He was stripping off his armor and throwing it to the ground while he continued to swat himself. "Okay, what's going on?"

" _Solenopsis geminata_. Also, known as fire ants." Another voice said. "I had an entire colony crawl into your armor. I think you can tell how they got their name."

Whirlwind didn't answer, but continued to swat himself as he tried to get the ants to stop biting and stinging him. While he was busy, he suddenly was hit by something that clanged against his helmet and sent him backwards. He didn't get back up. However, someone grew standing over him.

I swear he looked like some strange retro, futuristic biker in his red and black outfit. A black helmet covered his head, and I think there were buttons on his hands. He looked at me. "Are you all right, Mr. Stark?"

"I think so." I said. "Just who are you? And are you with Tinker Bell?"

"Excuse me?" The lady also grew to a seeable size, and the wings vanished from her back. "I am the Wasp. Not Tinker Bell."

"Okay, my bad." I said. "But who are you? Micro Biker?"  
"I'm Ant-Man." The biker guy introduced himself.

I laughed at that. "Ant-Man?"

"Hey, it was the help of ants that stopped Whirlwind, wasn't it?"

"Good point." I looked around. "There were two other people. Doctor Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne."

Wasp looked at me. "It's okay. We got them to safety."

"We'll take care of Whirlwind. You just worry about getting yourself back home."

* * *

Time: 2:12 p.m.

"Sir, why have you canceled all your meetings for this afternoon?" J.A.R.V.I.S. asked me.

If he had a face I would've looked at him. "Because something incredible happened today. I was attacked by a maniac who was a human top, and saved by two people in bug-themed outfits that could both shrink."

"And I thought your story about the Mandarin was absurd."

I ignored him. "My point is, they've confirmed an idea I've been toying with." I then started redoing the schematics of the armor I made in Afghanistan. "I was able to use this armor to stop one base of terrorists, but what if I could do more? What if this armor and I could end up saving countless lives all across the world?"

"Sir, you know what you're proposing is essentially taking the law into your own hands?"

"No. This is helping out where the law cannot. What if they're based in an area the U.S. can't go? I could go in, stop the nutcases, and get out without risking international war."

J.A.R.V.I.S. was silent before saying, "Well, since you've made up your mind about this, shall I store the plans and files on the Stark Mainframe?"

I shook my head. "No. This is going to be a private project." I finally finished trimming down the schematics of my original design. Now to get to work.

* * *

 **Please review if you enjoyed.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own Marvel or its characters.**

* * *

Chapter 3

Location: Malibu, California

Time: 6:30 a.m.

"Okay, let's do this." I said. "Start mark, half a meter, and back and center." I was about to test out my new jet boots I was making for my project. "Commencing test in three, two, one." No sooner had I activated them than I flew so fast I crashed into the wall and onto my nice Jaguar. I knew I left a dent in my car just like I knew the wall left a dent in me. "Well, that was a flop."

"Shall I review to you the analysis of your flight?" J.A.R.V.I.S. asked me.

I got my aching body off of my car. "May as well."  
"It appears the slimmer model you're going for is having to burst forth all the energy needed for flight from only two points of exit." The A.I. analyzed. "If you made some adjustments to allow other points of exit, you wouldn't end up crashing into your babies."

"And where do you suggest I do that?"

"From analyzing and studying the designs of planes and birds, I noticed the functions that allow them to maintain flight effectively. Since both feet are in use, I would recommend allowing the suit to channel the extra energy through the hands."

"Why?"

"As a counterbalance system. If you find yourself going too fast you could use the energy from your hands to act as a sort of brakes so you don't injure yourself."

I thought about it. "That's brilliant, J.A.R.V.I.S." I then got out of the prototypes. "Are the armor schematics ready?"

"Yes, sir." As J.A.R.V.I.S. pulled them up on the holographic screen, he added, "I noticed the metal you were going to use was too heavy. Might I suggest another combination? Possibly a titanium alloy to maintain durability but also allow for flexibility?"

I nodded. "Yeah, that's brilliant. Let's use gold to also help with the flexibility. Also, don't forget the paint job. I want this to look cool."

"Of course, sir."

"Anything else?"

"You have a nine-o'clock meeting with Doctor Hank Pym today."

* * *

Location: Stark Industries, Malibu, California

Date: August 12, 2005

Time: 9:30 a.m.

"Tony? Isn't this where your company used to make dangerous toxins for military purposes?" Hank Pym was asking me. I had asked him how he had escaped Whirlwind, but he was always edgy. Most I could get out what that he and Janet had crawled away while the psycho was targeting me. Some friends.

I looked at him. "It used to, but now we're redesigning it to create chemicals that can actually do good. Where we used to make stuff to dissolve tanks, we now make them to eat through rubble, making search and rescue efforts take less time."  
"But won't that risk hurting trapped people as well?" Janet asked me.

"Not if we make the chemicals so they do not affect organic matter." One of the scientists spoke in a French-accented voice. He had blue eyes and black hair, the kind that get most women to swoon for a guy. "That is the beauty of our research."

I smiled. "Doctor Pym. Janet. Allow me to introduce you to Doctor Pierre Paul Duval, our head chemist."

"Pleasure to meet you." He said as he kissed Janet's hand. I swear I saw a hint of jealousy in Pym's eyes.

Janet smiled. "And quite the gentleman too."

"But of course."

Pym cleared his throat. "Doctor Duval. Getting back to your research, how do you know that your chemicals won't affect people."  
"We test it of course." Removing one of his gloves, Doctor Duval picked up a vial of chemicals. Before anyone could stop him, he poured it onto his exposed right hand. To our surprise, it didn't burn or melt his hand. "You see? With these chemicals, we'll be able to reach victims trapped by building rubble in a matter of minutes instead of days. This formula can even be applied to the field of archaeology in uncovering ruins buried by Mother Nature for centuries."

"While at the same time risking damage to said ancient ruins." Doctor Pym folded his arms.

I looked at him. "What do you want, Hank? These chemicals are for humanitarian efforts only. Completely safe for humanity. Nothing can go wrong." No sooner had I said that than there was an explosion. People screamed and rushed for the exits. Hank quickly covered Janet with himself while he led her out. Another explosion overturned a table, breaking vials and spilling chemicals. "Doctor Duval. We have to get out of here."

"Not without my research." He said as he ran for a table. I tried to grab him, but I missed. I started to run after him, but no sooner had he gotten to the table with his research than another explosion happened and he was blasted back, the chemicals on that table pouring over him.

"Doctor Duval? Doctor Duval!" I called out through the smoke, searching for him. I wasn't going to leave here without him. Coughing through the smoke, I kept looking until I tripped over something hard and cold. As I crashed against the floor, I turned to see what I had tripped over was a statue. No, that can't be. There were no statues on this floor. But something about the posture…

"No." I said when I realized what I was staring at. It was Doctor Duval. He had been turned to stone.

* * *

Time: 10:15 a.m.

The emergency response crews were finishing putting out the fires the explosions had caused while paramedics were helping people who had gotten hurt. One was handing me an oxygen thingy to clear the smoke out of my lungs. Hmm… maybe I could develop a device that… no. How could I think about inventing new stuff when I had seen one of my employees die in front of my eyes?

As Duval was wheeled away I could see the look of horror permanently stuck on his rocky face. What must he have been thinking when the explosion happened? Did his life flash before his eyes? How many dreams of his will now go unfulfilled?

"Shame, isn't it?" Stane asked as he put his hand on my shoulder. "I know you had a lot riding on Frenchie's brilliance. But we can't cry over spilled milk. Just need to think of something else."

I looked at my partner. "That's the second time I've seen people die, and it was because of something I had been making."

"You didn't make those chemicals. There was no way you could've predicted that boom."

"Stane, my father wanted to help people. That's why the two of you built this company. When he died, you've been there every step of the way, helping me be ready to take over my father's responsibilities."  
"But of course. Howard Stark was the brother I never had. I promised him that if anything happened to him, I would raise you like my own son. Have I not kept my word, Tony? You need anything, I'm here for you."

* * *

Date: August 13, 2005,

Time: 9:00 a.m.

It's hardly been a day, and I still can't get Duval out of my head. Had I done that to him? I thought I had been doing something good, but now my attempts to repurpose Stark Industries had resulted in the death of a brilliant scientist. Setting my screwdriver down, I took a swig from my cup.

"Sir?" J.A.R.V.I.S. asked me. "Is inventing new stuff helping you to take your mind off Doctor Duval's passing?"

"It was, until you reminded me." I said.

"Well, maybe your visitors will help lift your spirits." Before I could ask J.A.R.V.I.S. what visitors, the door to my lab opened and in walked Janet and Hank.

Hank looked at me. "Tony. Janet thought that after what happened yesterday, that we should… what are you working on?"

I looked at my table. "Oh, this? Did I forget to tell you how I escaped from the Ten Rings? This is how. I built a suit of armor from the supplies I was given, and blasted my way out."

"Translation: You built a weapon to free yourself." The doctor folded his arms. "I thought you said you were done making weapons."  
"How is a suit of armor a weapon?" I asked. "I built the first armor to protect me from the weapons the Ten Rings had somehow gotten from my company, and it protected me from the Mandarin's powers."

"Tony, you blasted your way out, guns blazing. And are you sure you didn't just make up this Mandarin fellow? In Ancient China, the position of mandarin was more of an advisor to the emperor."  
"I know what I saw, Hank. You weren't a prisoner, held against your will, and forced to build weapons of mass destruction that could've been used against your country. This, quote-unquote, weapon, as you call it, was what stopped them and got me out of their hands. Don't tell me you wouldn't have done the same thing if people tried to use your Pym Particles as a weapon."  
"Guys?" Janet asked, but we ignored her.

"Leave my Pym Particles out of this. They weren't designed to be weaponized, but I knew the military and the government would try to do that to my research. You? You were making them weapons from day one."

"I told you that I've changed. I don't build weapons. This is to protect others. What if another accident like that happens at my company again? What if I can use this armor to keep my employees safe? Or are you saying that I should just turn a blind eye to what goes on at my company?"

"Guys?" Janet tried again.

"Not now." Hank snapped before turning to me. "You think you're the answer to all life's problems, that you can just build whatever you want and they'll go away. Here's the truth, Tony: Sometimes life just hands you a bucket of-."

"Guys!"

"What?" We both snapped at her.

She pointed to the holographic scene. "You might want to see this."

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was of downtown, but someone had been remodeling it into a rock garden. There were stone cars, stone trees, and… wait. Those weren't statues. Those were real. I watched in horror as footage was shown of a woman covering her little boy with herself, only for the woman to be turned to stone. The child squirmed in the rocky embrace, only to be turned to stone himself.

"This is Christine Everheart, of W.H.I.H. Newsfront. Behind me is a scene of massive carnage where people are being turned to stone. And there… oh my heavens." As she said that, a man walked up to the camera. At least I think it was a man. He was made entirely of stone, yet somehow had a cape and a mask on, and I think some sort of uniform. It was hard to tell since it was all the same color as granite. The only colors were the blue glove things he had on his right hand and his feet.

"You want to know who I am? So be it." The man said into the camera. "I am the Grey Gargoyle. And behind me is a sight of things to come. If you're watching this, Stark, then meet me at your company, where you created me. If I do not see you there in one hour, I will turn all of Malibu into another Pompeii." With that threat, he then touched Christine with his left hand. She screamed before being turned to stone. The cameraman tried to back away, but the Grey Gargoyle gave him the same fate, because then we lost live feed.

"Okay, that was terrifying." I said. "J.A.R.V.I.S., tell all the staff at Stark Industries to take the rest of the day off, and to get out of the building now."

"I just did, sir." J.A.R.V.I.S. said.  
"Hank, Janet, I need you to…" I turned to face them, but they were gone. "J.A.R.V.I.S., where did they go?"

"Out, I presume."

I noticed their clothes were on the ground. "Without some bare essentials."

"Sir, I was busy notifying everyone at your company to, as you would say, get the heck out," J.A.R.V.I.S. said. "I was not paying attention as to where Doctor Pym and Miss van Dyne went."

"Well, no time to worry about that now." I looked at the red and gold armor I was working on. "Time to get to work."

"Sir, this armor is untested."  
"Well, this is going to have to be the test." I said as I activated the protocols to don the armor. It opened up piece by piece, ready to allow me inside. I had to lay down to get inside it, and the metal was cold. I would have to install heaters later. Goosebumps raced up my skin as the metal closed around me, and I flinched as the armor tapped into the arc reactor in my chest. "Commencing test in three, two, one."

No sooner had I said that than the armor flew off. I didn't have time to react before the armor crashed against the walls and ceiling. Chunks of marble and concrete flew off, and to top it off, I crashed and ruined my nice new Ferrari. Swearing, I pried my helmet off and threw it to the ground.

"Sir, I'm not sure cussing will fix your car or get the armor ready," J.A.R.V.I.S. said. "And according to satellite images, the Grey Gargoyle is heading towards your company. Estimated time of arrival is one hour, twelve minutes."

"Then we've got fifty to get this armor working." I opened it up and began looking over the armor, racing against the clock.

* * *

 **I realized a mistake later on that I wasn't showing Tony going through the motions of making and designing the Iron Man armor, so I edited this chapter to allow that. I hope it works out well.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's chapter 4. Enjoy.**

 **I don't own Marvel or its characters.**

* * *

Chapter 4  
Location: Stark Industries, Malibu, California

Time: 10:12 a.m.

Well, the good news was I finally got my suit to fly. Bad news was, I was late for my appointment. Only heaven knows what Grey Gargoyle's been doing to my company while I was working on my suit.

"Sir, you might want to see the security feed." J.A.R.V.I.S. said as he pulled up the security footage. The living reject of Notre Dame had arrived, but something was hindering his progress. What was it?

"J.A.R.V.I.S., scan on all spectrums what I'm seeing." No sooner had I done so than I saw that there were little flashes of light coming from something. "Zoom in around the head." No sooner had the A.I. done so than I saw the same tiny woman from before. "Wasp? J.A.R.V.I.S., increase power to thrusters." The suit I was in then picked up speed. My company soon came into view, and I saw that the Grey Gargoyle was still trying to swat the Wasp.

"Commencing landing sequence in three, two, one." As soon as the power to my boots and flight stabilizers was cut off I ended up falling and landing on my rear. Not the heroic entry I was going for. I also heard something crunching underneath me. Quickly standing up, I opened the vocals to address Grey Gargoyle. "Hey Rocky. What brings you to town?"

"Who are you?" The Grey Gargoyle asked as he glared at me after saying something in French that I'm sure was profanity. "Where's Stark?"

"What do you want with Stark?" I asked.

"Payback. For turning me into this."

No way. "Doctor Duval?"

"Not anymore. Now I have become the Grey Gargoyle." To my surprise he plunged both hands into the street and ripped out a chunk of concrete. Swearing, I quickly rolled out of the way as he threw it, destroying a convertible that I hope no one was inside.

"Sir, we have a visitor." Turning, I saw the Wasp flying next to me.

I swear the Wasp had an eyebrow raised as she spoke. "Who are you supposed to be? Iron Man?"

"The suit is an alloy of… actually, Iron Man's catchier. That's me." That name reminded me of what the Mandarin called me as I escaped. Was this coincidence or something else? Had to be coincidence.

The Grey Gargoyle stomped towards us. "It doesn't matter what you call yourself. If you're an ally of Stark's, then you're an enemy of mine."

"Ever think that Stark was innocent?"

"Innocent or not, his company made me into a living statue. Now the empire he's built will crumple as I turn it to stone."

"Listen, Rockhead." I said as I held my hand up. "You don't have to do this. People can help you. There's no need to get violent." No sooner had I said that than the flight stabilizer in my hand went off, blasting the Grey Gargoyle into the security booth. "Oops. That was an accident."

"Gee. Could've fooled me." Wasp said. "And I thought Hank was bad at reasoning with people."

"Hank? As in Hank Pym?" I looked at the Wasp. "Hold on. Are you…?"

"Iron Man." The Grey Gargoyle snarled as he ran at me. I held up my hand and ended up blasting him back again.

"Stay down." I said as I looked at Wasp. "Where's Ant-Man? Find him. Have him meet me in the chemical lab. I have an idea on how to stop the Grey Gargoyle." As she took off, I looked at the Grey Gargoyle. I had no idea how I was supposed to stop the living DaVinci sculpture.

The Grey Gargoyle grabbed a part of the wall that had been the security booth. As it turned to stone, he glared at me. "You will not stop me from getting my revenge, Iron Man. I will make Stark pay for what he did to me." He threw the stone wall at me, but I managed to evade it by flying out of the way.

My mistake was I failed to see him throw the petrified tree at me.

"Oof!" I groaned as the tree hit me and knocked me through the wall of my own company. I crashed through several office cubicles, scattering papers and ruining desktops. I looked as I saw someone's glass figurine collection fall to the ground, shattering on impact. Noticing the name on the cubicle, I made a not to repay the guy. "J.A.R.V.I.S., remind me to get Jim Donald a new figurine collection."  
"I'll keep an eye out for every figurine you break, sir." J.A.R.V.I.S. said as I got up, brushing papers and debris off me. There was a heavy thunk down the way I just came, like someone plopped a Greek statue on the floor.

"Iron Man." The French-accented voice of the man who used to be Doctor Duval echoed in the cubicles. "You cannot hide from me. I'll turn Stark's company into a rock garden, then all of Malibu will suffer my wrath."

"What? Don't like the waves?" I joked as I stepped out. "Listen, Duval, you don't have to do this. We can get you help."

"Help? No one can help me now." He snapped. "Doctor Duval died in this company. Now all that remains is the Grey Gargoyle, his living legacy. I was the world's most brilliant chemist. Now, thanks to Stark, I am living stone. I shall thank him by leaving his empire a stone ruin."

"That's not going to happen." I said. "Not while Iron Man stands in your way."

"Then I shall turn you into Stone Man." Tearing off a section of a cubicle, he turned it to stone and threw it at me. Holding up my hands, I was going to grab. However, the flight stabilizers in my hands went off again, and blasted it to pebbles.

Well, trying to reason with him has failed. Guess the only option was to blast him. Holding my hands up, I fired both stabilizers… well, that may not be an accurate term anymore. What to call them? Repulsors? Yeah, that's catchy. Anyway, I used my repulsors to blast the Grey Gargoyle through the wall and back out onto the street.

As I flew through the halls, I gave J.A.R.V.I.S. new orders. "Put the entire building on lockdown. No one gets in."

"Right away, sir." J.A.R.V.I.S. then began to activate security measures of the building. I saw the doors shut and lock, with the electric circuit breakers switching on. Even if someone were to get in, they'd be electrified. Though I doubt that would work on someone who's a walking sculpture. "Shall I activate the elevator for you, sir?"

"No need." Flying to the doors, I broke them open and began to fly up the shaft. Thankfully the elevator had gone to the basement, so I didn't have to worry about flying into that.

"Sir, you have company in the in the chemist lab."

"Good. I'm going to need help to stop the Grey Gargoyle." Once I reached the right floor, I blasted the doors open and flew out. The lab doors were opened just down the hall, so I flew towards it. Sure enough, there was the one called Ant-Man standing at a table with his arms folded.

"About time. Wasp said you had an idea on how to stop the Grey Gargoyle."

I tried to land, but I ended up demolishing a chair. Getting up, I said, "Uh, actually, I was hoping we could work on a solution together."  
"What? But you said you had a plan." Wasp said as she suddenly grew to human size.

I looked at her. "I know. I'm still working out the details."

"So you don't have a plan." Ant-Man shook his head. "Typical. I should've expected nothing more from the famous Tony Stark."

That caught me off guard. "Huh? How did…?"  
"We saw you working on it earlier today, Tony. When you were showing Doctor Pym and Janet van Dyne." Wasp explained.

I smirked behind my mask. "Don't you mean when I showed you two, Hank and Janet?"

She started. "Whoa. What are you talking about? I don't…"

"Oh, don't give me that." I said as I had the faceplate lift up. "You speak in the same accent she does, gets all excited over action, and said Hank earlier. Clearly you spoke of him as if you two were… close." I then turned to Ant-Man. "Hank, if you're going to be masquerading in a retro space biker outfit, mind changing your mannerisms? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that it's you underneath the mask.

At first, he was silent. I assumed he was just going to deny it again, or make up some lame excuse. To my surprise, he actually cooperated and pressed a button on the side of his helmet, making the faceplate slide up. "Maybe you should make your armor less incognito. Or not show it to anyone who walks in your door."

"Actually, I don't show it to everyone who walks in the door. Just you two." I then looked at the security cameras. "J.A.R.V.I.S., please edit the videos so no one sees any of this."

"I just did, sir."

Wasp then pressed a button on the side of her helmet, and lifted up the faceplate to show the face of Janet van Dyne underneath. "This is amazing. We're like a team of superheroes now."

"Tony's not a superhero." Hank told her. "He's just a billionaire playboy looking at being something he's not."

I pointed a finger at him. "I could either reprimand you for saying that, or we can work on a solution to stopping Doctor Duval."  
"Duval? I thought he was dead." Hank said.

I shook my head. "He's not. The accident, it did something to him. It made him into that walking talking companion Quasimodo never had at Notre Dame."

"Sir, the Grey Gargoyle has just entered the building. I estimate that we have about ten minutes twenty-five seconds before he reaches the arc reactor."

"Tony, the arc reactor's what powers the entire company, isn't it?" Janet asked me.

I nodded. "If he turns that thing to stone, the power blockage could result in a disaster that'll make Chernobyl look like a walk in the park." I looked at Hank. "I know you hate my guts more than Duval does right now, but right now we need to work together to stop him before he destroys any more lives. Will you help me? Please?"

* * *

Time: 10:28 a.m.

"Stark!" Grey Gargoyle's voice echoed through the halls. "Show yourself!" The doors to my office turned to stone before they shattered, the former French chemist storming in.

Faceplate down, fully donned in my armor, I turned around in the office chair. "I'm afraid Mister Stark is out of the office now. Would you like me to set up an appointment?"

"Don't bother. I will destroy all of America if that's what it will take to get me to Stark." Grabbing a bonsai plant, the Grey Gargoyle turned it to stone before throwing it at me. I grabbed it and crushed it to bits in my hand.

"Yeah, the petrifying touch move's getting old." I said as I held up my hand to blast him.

"Petrifying touch. An excellent name for my new powers." The Grey Gargoyle said as he leapt at me and delivered a kick with his granite foot. "But don't expect that to be my only move."  
"Got it." I said as I tried to kick him in the groin, but nothing happened. Except I'm sure I dislocated my knee.

He laughed at that. "Did you really expect that to do anything?"

"Maybe sting a little." I said, giving Wasp her cue to move in. She flew towards his face and began blasting him with those bioelectrical blasts she explained to me earlier, her stingers. Duval growled and covered his face, stepping away from me. I pressed the comm link in my helmet. "Hank, how are we doing?"

"I need a few more minutes to make sure the solution spreads through the entire sprinkler system." He replied.

"You get one." I said as I turned to the Grey Gargoyle. To my horror he had Wasp in his hand.

"If you're so defendant of Stark, then you must know where the arc reactor is." The Grey Gargoyle said. "Take me there, or Tinker Bell here becomes a lawn ornament."

I powered down my repulsors. "Okay. You win. Just let her go."

"I will hold on to her until I get what I want." Was his answer. "As Americans once said to a French Prime Minister, 'we will not give thee six pence'."

"I'm pretty sure that's not even remotely applicable to this situation." I told him. To J.A.R.V.I.S., I said, "Open the elevator to the arc reactor."

"Sir, if he turns it to stone…"

"Just do it." As I said that, the rug in the middle of my office lifted up, revealing a special hidden elevator. Enough room for the two of us.

The Grey Gargoyle smiled. "Excellent." He placed his left hand on my shoulder as I walked to the elevator. "Do not try anything foolish, or I will crush your tiny friend."

"Hey, I'm being honest with you here." I said as we both entered the elevator. After pressing the down button, we went down. Some classic jazz music played on the loudspeakers while we descended, followed by some Mozart.

When we reached the bottom, the doors opened up to a massive room with a massive object that looked like one of those baby toys where they stack the rings that decreased in size. However, instead of the colors of the rainbow, it was completely white as it pulsed with electricity, giving enough power that if we applied it properly could give the entire western sea border enough power for fifty years.

"The arc reactor. Finally." The Grey Gargoyle said as he threw Wasp to the side. "Now Stark's empire will come crumbling all around him."

"Afraid that's not going to happen." I blasted him with one of my repulsors. "Hank?"

"Just a few more seconds."

The Grey Gargoyle leapt at me, swiping at me with his hands. "You think you can outsmart the Grey Gargoyle?" Metal was torn as his attacks hit home. I looked to see gashes in my armor, exposing the wiring and gears. He had claws too? He grabbed my chest with his left hand, and my breastplate began to turn to stone. "This is the end."

"It is for you. Now!" As soon as I said that, J.A.R.V.I.S. activated the fire sprinkler system. The chemical solution we added to the water sprayed all over the Grey Gargoyle, at first doing nothing to him. Then, he found his movements were getting sluggish, and he started to harden. "What's this?"

"A little something made for you." I said. "This chemical bath you're getting? Acts like instant glue. Something this company was developing to put archaeological ruins back together." I watched as the glue hardened, freezing the Grey Gargoyle into place.

* * *

Time: 12:15 p.m.

After we finished with the Grey Gargoyle, I flew back to my home and changed out of my armor. I then had Happy Hogan take me to Stark Industries where I found the Grey Gargoyle being wheeled out on a dolly. Why they called those things that I never found out. Still, I couldn't shake the guilty feeling I had, knowing he had been a Stark employee before an accident made him the Grey Gargoyle. If I had been in his shoes, would I have acted differently?

"Mr. Stark." I turned to see a balding man in a dark suit take off a pair of sunglasses. "Agent Phil Coulson of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division."

"That's a mouthful." I said.

"We get that a lot." Agent Coulson said. "We're sorry about what happened to Doctor Duval."

I sighed. "His accident was my company's fault. I was trying to make things to help mankind. Instead I created a monster."

"Well, we happen to be prepared for cases like Duval." Coulson continued. "We got a special facility prepared for him. Even when the glue comes off, he's not going anywhere."

"But it can't replace the lives that were lost today."

He looked at me. "Didn't you hear? The people he turned to stone are fine. It appears that the petrification process used on them is only temporary, vanishing after an hour with no side effects on the people. They're going to be fine." He then smiled. "I hear you've got a guardian angel. One made of iron. You'll want to keep in touch with him. I've got a feeling you'll be needing him a lot more in the future."

I turned to ask him some questions, but he put his shades back on and walked off into the crowd. I tried to follow him, but he vanished amongst them. It didn't help that reporters swarmed me, asking questions. I just ignored them and got back into my limo.

"So. Tony Stark has become Iron Man." Janet smiled at me as we began to drive back to my place. "The three of us could be a team of superheroes."

"Jan, we talked about this." Hank looked at her. "We're not going public. If I know Tony, he's going to mass market his Iron Man suit to cover up for this mishap."

I blinked. "Mass market? You really don't know me. If I handed that tech over to the military, they'd turn it into a weapon. You may not believe me, but I am done making weapons. I don't want to be that iron monger anymore. I don't want to hurt people. That's why I was making all that stuff, to try to build mankind up instead of tear it down. Isn't that why you made your own lab? So people wouldn't be able to use your Pym Particles in ways you wouldn't approve of?"

Hank looked at me. "Yeah, but… Tony, if this is about what happened to Duval…"

"It's not. It's about saving lives. Every night I wake up seeing the faces of the soldiers who died in the Middle East. Soldiers who were killed by the weapons I had made. Their blood is on my hands, and nothing I can do can bring them back." I buried my face in my hands. "I don't want anyone else dead because of what I've made. I want to help build a future for the human race, like my father spent the rest of his life doing after the war." I looked at Hank. "That's why I built the Iron Man armor. So I can help protect people while giving them hope for the future. But it doesn't matter to you. You see everything Stark Industries builds as a potential machine of destruction."

We then sat in silence. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. I just stared out the window, not really taking in the sights. Finally, I heard Hank say, "Janet, what do you think?"

"I think we should help him. At least make sure the suit won't be what you fear it will be." Was her answer. "Maybe we can take a look at the circuitry, help make it better so Tony won't keep flying into things or demolishing something when he lands."

"Tony…" Hank began, "I wanted to believe that you were trying to better yourself, and make up for past mistakes. Today, all I saw was the same selfish guy who does what he wants." He looked at his girlfriend. "Janet, no. We're going back to San Francisco today."

* * *

 **Yep. Agent Coulson's in this universe. It's possible that other members of S.H.I.E.L.D. are here as well. You just need to wait and see.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry this took so long. I'm trying to make sure I stay on top of college work, and all that.**

 **I don't own Marvel or its characters.**

 **Special thanks to AquaDestiniesEmbrace for helping me write this chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 5

Location: Malibu, California

Date: August 15, 2005

Time: 4:35 a.m.

"Same selfish guy?" I muttered to myself as I tried to get the wiring in the armor to line up. "I put myself in the line of fire to stop the Grey Gargoyle, and what does Hank think of me? As the same guy, I was when my company considered turning his Pym Particles into a weapon. I can't believe him. I've been doing nothing but try to turn my company into something humane."

"Sir, should I schedule a therapist to visit you?" J.A.R.V.I.S. asked me. "Maybe a recent college graduate?"

"No, J.A.R.V.I.S. What I need is some way to prove to Hank that I'm not the guy he thinks I am."

"I'm afraid I cannot help you there, sir."

"Of course you can't."

"However, I can remind you that you have a meeting in two hours, twenty-five minutes with the C.E.O. of Hammer Tech."

I shook my head. Justin Hammer, the wannabe weapons dealer, meeting with me to discuss possible business partnerships? I believe all he was doing was trying to try to get on my good side so he could try to rip off more of my ideas. "Sure I can't cancel it?"

"I'm certain this meeting you'll want to attend. For now, you'll want to get some sleep. You won't do any good tired."

"I could outthink Justin in my sleep."  
"Sir, you should know…"

"J.A.R.V.I.S., I'll be fine. Just let me keep working."

* * *

Location: Stark Industries, Malibu, California

Time: 7:15 a.m.

I headed to my office, waving at the employees as I did so. I could see several people had a nervous look about them. Ever since the incident with Duval, they had been afraid of what the experiments would do to them. I just smiled. "Hey. Let's not worry. Today's a brand-new day, and the world needs the ideas we've got to be made into a better future."

I then opened my office doors, finding to my surprise that someone was already there. Someone I hadn't seen for years. "Justine?"

Holy crap, she looked the same as I remembered her. Blue eyes shadowed by black hair with white streaks racing through them. She was dressed in high heels with a navy-blue dress, which kind of reminded me of an airplane assistant. She stood and smiled at me. "Hello, Tony."

"Justine. I, uh… I wasn't expecting you." I looked around. "J.A.R.V.I.S., why didn't you tell me Justine was coming?"

"I did sir." Was the A.I.'s response.

I blinked. "When?"

"Last night at 4:37 a.m., while you were still working on your projects."

"No, no you didn't. You said I was meeting with Justin Hammer."

"No. I said you were meeting with the C.E.O. of Hammer Tech."

"Who is Justin Hammer last time I checked."  
"You need to keep better tabs on people." Justine said as she stood up. "My father no longer runs Hammer Tech. Not since he passed away last year. As his only child, I was deemed worthy of inheriting my father's empire."

My jaw dropped. "You? Last time I saw you, you were in college."

"While you were working on your last semester at the age of seventeen." She smiled. "The Albert Einstein of campus, and now I see my theory about you was right. You've made a name for yourself as one of the smartest men on the planet. That's what attracted me to you during your graduation."

That brought up memories that at the time had been pleasant, but now made me tense. "Uh, can we not talk about that?"

"Why not? As I remembered it, you called it a fantastic night of study."

"I was young. Hormones. And last time I checked, your father was furious at me when he found out. Lots of profanity and threats." I looked at her. "Please don't tell me you're here because of a thirteen-year old child I don't know about."

"No children." Was her answer while she looked at me. "You've changed, Tony. If this had happened five months ago we'd already be at your home doing… another experiment."

"That's not me anymore." I said. "I found out what my legacy was going to be while I was in Afghanistan, and it's not a legacy I want. I nearly died, and would've left weapons of mass destruction as my mark on the world."

"Most men would kill for a reputation like that."

I looked at her. "Why are you here? You were so determined to live up to the Hammer name."

"I still am." She walked up to my desk as she spoke. "For years, Hammer Tech has struggled to keep up with Stark Industries in the weapons department. Whenever we built something revolutionary, your company would build something even better. My father hated you for your brilliance, but the way I saw it you gave us a standard. You were building the future that people had dreamed of, and Hammer Tech kept following you." Justine had been fiddling with one of the decorations on my desk before she put it down and looked at me again. "Then when you return, you stop. Why, Tony?"

"I saw soldiers die. American soldiers. While I was captive the Ten Rings would play videos of the villages they slaughtered. I saw families, children, being massacred like animals." I felt sick in my stomach as I remembered those videos. "One of the men who helped me, Yinsen, was killed simply because we were taking too long to build the Mandarin the weapons he wanted." I walked up to her. "I don't want my legacy, the legacy of my father, to be a bloodbath."

"Sometimes we need to break a few eggs to make an omelet." Justine put her arms around my shoulders. "But this would've been a dream come true for my father. So now I'm wondering what will happen to all the brilliant ideas that seem to spawn from that brain of yours. Maybe this could be a business opportunity, a way to heal the rivalry between Stark Industries and Hammer Tech."

I looked at her. "You available for lunch?"

* * *

Location: Olive Garden, Malibu, California

Time: 12:12 p.m.

"Enjoying the lasagna?" I asked Justine.

She wiped her mouth with her napkin. "It is delicious. A little burnt on the cheese, but delicious."

I nodded, taking a bite off the food on my plate. She was right. Cheese was a little overcooked, but it was still tasty. I then looked at her. "So, what do you need to speak about?"

She took a sip of her drink before answering me, "I wanted to discuss the future of your company."

I rose an eyebrow as I leaned forward. "What do you mean?"

"Tony, everyone knows that your brain is full of ideas, and they all want them. The military's not going to ignore your humanitarian movements, especially not after that fiasco with the Grey Gargoyle. They're going to keep making offers for you to build weapons for them, even if those weapons used to be humans." She leaned forward. "What I'm offering is a chance to get them off your back. Let Hammer Tech take over the building of weapons for the government. That way you can continue to push Stark Industries in the direction you want to go without men like Ross breathing down your neck."

I paused, thinking over her words. It was true, Ross is a huge pain in the neck. He still wanted me to build stuff to track down gamma radiation. Probably for his green Bigfoot hunt that he started last year. I was getting sick of his constant barking. A dog had more sense than he did, and I wasn't going to allow my company to help him on his wild goose chase. "Would you give me some time to think this over?" I asked her.

Justine was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Of course." She reached for her purse. "I'll pay for lunch."

"Are you sure? I mean, I can do it." I offered the lady.

She waved her hand. "I've got more than enough, Tony. Besides, how long has it been since someone treated you?"

I backed off, letting her pay for it. "If you insist, then..."

"Thank you." Justine paid for the lunch as we left the table. I felt a little awkward with her holding my arm the way she did. Yeah, we haven't seen each other since college, but I didn't want people to think that we were going out. "Shall we do this again tomorrow?" She asked me.

I nodded. "Of course. But I'm still gonna think about it." No sense being rude to her since she was trying to help me. So why did I still feel nervous about her deal?

She pulled out some red lipstick and applied it to her lips. "Take all the time you need." Then she leaned up and kissed me on the cheek.

* * *

Time: 2:45 p.m.

"How was your day, sir?" J.A.R.V.I.S. asked me as I returned to my lab.

"It was okay." I said to the A.I. as I took off my sunglasses. "Justine was offering me something." She allowed me to drop her off at gate to Hammer Tech, which was nice I guess. Why couldn't I stop thinking about her? We haven't spoken since that night, and now suddenly she wanted to help me? Guess she still had a thing for my looks.

"Should I make reservations for you two at the next opera?" He asked.

"Thanks, but no thanks." I said sarcastically. "No, it wasn't anything like that."

"Of course not, sir." I swear there was a humorous tone in his voice. I need to consider updating his programming.

I sighed. "Justine was offering a chance to... get the military off my back. She said she would have Hammer Tech take over the building of weapons for the government so I could make Stark Industries more humane."

"That reminds me, sir. Miss Potts has a few appointments scheduled for you tomorrow, one of which is with the board of directors. I would advise checking with her about them."

"Good advice, JARVIS." I nodded, making a mental note to try and remember that. I then headed over to my table where I was adjusting the Iron Man armor. The Mark Three armor had a lot of bugs in it from when I faced the Grey Gargoyle, but from that experience I learned I need to keep adjusting my armor. I had a feeling in my gut foes like Whirlwind, Grey Gargoyle, and the Mandarin were just the appetizer, and the main course was on its way. I needed to build the perfect armor, one that could withstand anything thrown at me.  
"Alert. Stark Industries has just put out a distress call." J.A.R.V.I.S. told me. "It appears your company is under attack by someone wearing a red cowl."

* * *

 **You can probably guess who's attacking Stark Industries now. I just need to figure out what her powers and abilities are before I can write out the first confrontation between these two.**

 **Oh, and if you're interested I did update chapters 2 and 3 to show Tony working on the armor designs.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone. I finally graduated from college, so now I can work on these stories. Let's see if I can successfully continue to build up my version of the Marvel universe.**

 **I don't own Marvel or its characters.**

* * *

Chapter 6

Location: Stark Industries, Malibu, California

Time: 3:00 p.m.

As I flew to my company I could see columns of smoke rising in the distance. This newcomer didn't waste any time at wrecking my company. "J.A.R.V.I.S., I see smoke rising from my company. What's the damage?"

"It appears that this newcomer is attempting to force herself into Research and Development, sir."

"Whoa. Did you say this was a woman?"

"That was the most obvious conclusion from the build of her figure."

Was J.A.R.V.I.S. imitating me? Scary thought. "Is the building clear?"

"Negative. I've done a scan, and it appears that there are twelve scientists trapped by the onslaught of this new threat."

That complicates things. "Any interesting tidbits on our uninvited guest?"

"She's wearing red, sir."

I rolled my eyes. "Just be ready to turn on the speakers." As we got close to the Research and Development wing I got a good look at the perpetrator. Yep. The figure was feminine, but that wasn't the strangest thing. What was strange was she was in this red bodysuit that covered everything, even her head. It also looked as if it could take a beating and then some. She also had on this red cowl with a cape attached to it. "Here goes." Turning the suit at an angle I flew towards Ms. Red Tights. I could see how this was going to turn out. I would tackle this woman, fly off with her, and drop her in the closest jail cell. No way that could go wr…

"Gah!" I cried out as something hard hit me on the head. I then found myself spinning because in split seconds my line of sight changed from ground to sky to ground to sky until all I could see was the ground followed by aching pain everywhere.

As I struggled to get up, I raised my head to see that woman walking towards me. "Not even one minute into the fight and you're beaten."

"You got in a cheap shot, lady." I growled as I staggered to my feet. "But I'm about to give you –."

"No witty comeback? No banter?" The woman looked at me. "Used it all up fighting the Grey Gargoyle?"

"J.A.R.V.I.S., are the speakers on?" I asked.

"No."

"Why not?"

"You haven't told me to do so, sir."

"Well, turn them on."

"Sir, I should warn you –."

"Turn them on, you piece of digital trash!"

"What did you call me?" The woman sounded really offended.

It was a good thing my faceplate was down because it hid my expression at what I had just done. "You heard that?"

"I did. Now listen up." She held out her hand as an ominous red glow appeared around it. "No one insults Crimson Cowl and lives to tell about it. No one."

"Your name's Crimson Cowl?" I asked before the red glow shot forth from her hand and blasted me back. I crashed into someone's S.U.V. and set off the car alarm.

"Warning. Heavy damage to chest plate and helmet. Repairs advised." J.A.R.V.I.S. told me as an image of my suit appeared on my screen, the damaged areas flashing red.

"Yeah. I feel it." I groaned as I held my side. "Run a scan on that glow of hers and find out what it is."

"I just did, sir." The results flashed on my screen.

I could see Crimson Cowl… wait. Was she floating? Did she have some sort of propulsion gear that gave her a weightless appearance? It had to be some sort of technology because there was no way she could fly on her own. "So tell me this. Why are you attacking Stark Industries? Couldn't you blow off steam at Roxxon or something?"

"My reasons for attacking this upstart are my own." Was her response as her hands glowed again. Before I could feel the pain I rolled to the side and another dent appeared in the S.U.V. that wasn't caused by me. Holding up my hands, I fired a couple of repulsor blasts at Crimson Cowl, knocking her back into someone's station wagon.

"Shall I make a note to pay for the damage being done to this parking lot, sir?" The A.I. asked me.

"Yeah, fine." I said as I reviewed the data J.A.R.V.I.S. did of my enemy, while flying around Mrs. Scarlett's attacks. Hold on. According to this, it looked as if she was somehow harnessing the energy from the sun, the wind, anything around her and focusing it into… oh no. Glowing hand. Bad news. I dove to try and avoid her blast, preparing to hit her with a repulsor blast instead, but a pain in my right foot and the sound of metal being bent out of shape filled my ears.

The alarm sounded in my armor. "Alert. Right boot has been damaged. Flight mechanisms down." J.A.R.V.I.S. told me as I plummeted to the ground. Thankfully my fall was broken by a Nissan.

I tried to get up, but I gave a cry of pain as I felt something sharp in my right arm. "Please don't be fractured." I said as I looked. It wasn't broken, but it did have something and red and sharp sticking into it. What the? I followed it to see… it was a corner of Crimson Cowl's cape? How is that possible?

"How does it feel, Iron Man?" Crimson Cowl asked me. "To see that you're not invincible like people say? To know you've been beaten by your superior?" When she said that she thrust the other corner of her cape into my left leg, and that made me writhe in pain. It was like getting acupunctured with daggers. A glow appeared around her hand. "I could kill you right now. Show the world the man behind the mask."

"Then why don't you?"

The glow faded as she scoffed. "That's too easy. You'd become a martyr, and people would only honor you. No, I'll let you live as a message to Tony Stark. When he sees you like this he'll know his company has no one to hide behind. He will realize he is vulnerable, and he will sweat once he sees you beaten and broken, a tool he can no longer trust." With that the two corners of her cape receded and she floated up. Before I could do anything she flew away. However, there was a high probability that I would see Crimson Cowl again.

* * *

Location: 10880 Malibu Point, Malibu, California

Time: 4:16 p.m.

"Sir, I warned you what would happen if we diverted all remaining power to the suit's flight."

"J.A.R.V.I.S., I know. I was there as we leaked energy." I told the A.I. as I struggled to stand up in my lab. "Now get me out of this armor before power runs out."

"As you wish, sir." The mechanical arms went to work removing my armor while I went over Crimson Cowl's words in my head. She was right. Iron Man failed to stop the bad guy, or girl in this case, for once. What if next time I couldn't walk away? What if I couldn't protect anyone from the next attack?

"Tony?" Pepper's voice echoed as she came down the stairs. "Tony, something's happened at… what the heck?" She didn't say heck.

I was only halfway done getting out of my armor, but for a laugh I covered my groin with a piece of metal even though I was dressed underneath. "Pepper. Don't you know it's rude to walk in on someone like that?"

She wasn't amused by my antics. "Tony, y-you're Iron Man?"

"Yeah. Guess it's obvious." I said as a mechanical arm tried to grab the armor I was currently covering, but pinched my hand instead. "Ow. Stop it."

"Tony, you know what you're doing? You're taking the law into your own hands like some vigilante. What you're doing here is illegal."

"How?" I asked. "I'm protecting my company using my tech. There are no laws against that."

"That doesn't mean running around in a red and gold suit of armor is legal, either. That's what the police are for."

"The police can't handle threats like this. You saw what the Grey Gargoyle did to people. You weren't there as the Mandarin's forces butchered soldiers using my tech. Now you're telling me the right thing to do is let innocent people get slaughtered by these super powered threats? Yeah. Sounds like the country has its priorities straight on what's legal."

"It's not about whether this legal or not. It's about your safety." Pepper looked at the pieces of armor that were now hanging around my lab. "Look at this. What did this to you?"

"Some crazy lady called Crimson Cowl." I said as I got out of the rest of my armor. "I swore as my injured leg and foot gave out and I fell over. Pepper moved fast to catch me, but we both fell to the floor.

"Oh, my gosh." She said as she saw my arm, leg, and foot, although she didn't say gosh. "Tony, we need to get you to a hospital."

I shook my head. "No, no hospitals."

"Sir, Ms. Potts is right about –."

"No hospitals." I insisted. "Get me over to the Genesis Chamber."

"The what?" Pepper asked me.

I pointed. "The sarcophagus thing over there."

"Tony, I –."

"Chamber. Now."

With a sigh, Pepper helped me to my feet and escorted me over to the Genesis Chamber and got me inside. As I laid there my secretary watched as I tore my shoe off, rolled up my pant leg and shirt sleeve, and had the machine get to work. "What is this?"

I looked at her. "A little project I've been working on. The Genesis Chamber takes damaged organic material and repairs them on a molecular level. Amputation? History. This thing's going to revolutionize modern medicine."

"Are you sure this thing's safe?"

"We'll know in a few hours."

"You mean this thing's untested?"

"Giving it a test run now."

Pepper did a face-palm as she shook her head. "Why do you do this? Why do you insist on doing everything yourself?"

"You know why. My weapons, my inventions, got out and were used against American soldiers who were only guilty of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. For all I know the Ten Rings and the Mandarin are out there getting their hands on weapons and using them to attack civilians." I looked at her. "I can't bear the thought of people getting hurt because of what I've made. Not anymore. That's why I'm doing this."

"Tony, you don't have to bear the weight of the world. You're just one man. You can't be expected to avenge every wrong in the world."

"Yes, I can."

"Okay. I know when you're like this nothing can be said to make you change your mind." She turned to leave. Before she opened the door, Pepper added, "Just remember you can't change the world if you're out on the street."

As she left, I thought about what she said. She was right. If Iron Man was to get stronger, Stark Industries needed to sustain itself. That wasn't going to happen if another company was the only one trusted with the funds. Using my free hand to pull up the holoscreen, I sent a two-word e-mail to Justine.

No deal.


End file.
